Montgomery’s Octavia Spencer wins her first Emmy award

Reviewed by: Pat Byington

Reading time: 3 minutes

Octavia Spencer
OCTAVIA SPENCER as Grandma in Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy adventure “THE WITCHES,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Photograph by Courtesy Warner Bros. Picture

Alabama is celebrating another massive milestone in entertainment history! Oscar-winning actress, producer and Montgomery native Octavia Spencer has added a Primetime Emmy Award to her impressive list of accolades.

Spencer earned the award for Outstanding Narrator at the Creative Arts Emmys for her compelling voice work in Investigation Discovery’s true-crime docuseries Lost Women of Alaska. Spencer, who also executive produced the project, utilized her platform to highlight stories surrounding missing and murdered Indigenous women in Alaska.

As reported by Forbes, Spencer emphasized how important it was to bring awareness to victims who no longer have a voice. Taking to social media following the honor, she dedicated the recognition directly to the families involved.

“Most importantly, thank you to the Indigenous community who banded together to fight for visibility for these victims and their families. Your strength, persistence and commitment to making sure these women were seen, heard and remembered is at the heart of why this story matters.”

She also credited production partners at October Films and Momentum Content for helping bring the vision to life with care and dedication.

What is EGOT status + how close is Octavia Spencer?

Octavia Spencer
American actress Octavia Spencer speaks on a panel after a screening of the film “Hidden Figures” at the White House, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016 in Washington. The film is based on the book of the same title, by Margot Lee Shetterly, and chronicles the lives of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson — African-American women working at NASA as “human computers,” who were critical to the success of John Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission in 1962. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

For fans of entertainment history, Octavia Spencer’s landmark victory represents something even bigger: she is now halfway to EGOT status!

EGOT is an acronym for the grand slam of American entertainment awards: winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Achieving EGOT status is one of the rarest feats in Hollywood history, held by only a select group of legendary artists, including Rita Moreno, Viola Davis and John Legend.

Spencer famously won the Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Supporting Actress in 2012 for her iconic performance in The Help. Now that she has claimed her first Emmy, she only needs a Grammy Award and a Tony Award to complete the elusive EGOT quartet.

Celebrating Alabama talent on the global stage

Octavia Spencer
(L-r) STANLEY TUCCI as Mr. Stringer and OCTAVIA SPENCER as Grandma in Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy adventure “THE WITCHES,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Photograph by Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

From growing up in Montgomery and graduating from Jefferson Davis High School and Auburn University, Spencer has continuously made her home state proud. Her dedication to storytelling, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes as a producer, continues to elevate marginalized voices while showcasing the outstanding talent originating right here in the capital city.

With an Oscar and an Emmy now on her mantel, the entire state will be cheering Octavia Spencer on as she sets her sights on future projects!

What is your favorite Octavia Spencer role or project so far? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook.

Leonard Hall
Leonard Hall

Leo Hall joined Montgomery UP as a content producer in May 2026.

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